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Revision as of 00:22, 19 March 2006 by Vikramsingh (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Khatris are an elite community of the Kshatriya caste that originated in the Pothwar plateau (Rawalpindi division) and surrounding regions of Punjab, now much of it in Pakistan. When Pakistan and India gained independence, most of the Khatris in what became Pakistan migrated to India.
Today Khatris live in all regions of India, but are concentrated in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. While most Khatris are Hindu, some are also Sikh and a few belong to the Jain faith. Khatris of all these faiths collectively form one community. In modern times, the Khatri play a dominant role in the Indian economy, serving as businessmen, civil and government administrators, landlords, and military officials. They are by far the most educated group in Punjab.
Prominent historical figures among the Khatris include all the Sikh Gurus (belonging to the Bedi, Trehan, Bhalla and Sodhi subcastes); Raja Todar Mal (a Tandon Khatri), who as Akbar's Revenue minister codified the revenue collection system; Haqiqat Rai (a Puri Khatri), whose martyrdom was celebrated on Basant Panchami at Lahore till the advent of independence; Hari Singh Nalwa (an Uppal Khatri), the prominent general under Maharaja Ranjit Singh; the father and son pair of the Diwans Sawan Mal and Mul Raj Chopra - successive governors of Multan under Ranjit Singh, the former instituted vast improvement in agriculture while the latter was instrumental in leading the revolt against the Brits to prevent the annexation of the Sikh kingdom into the East India Company territory.
See detailed article Khatri.
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